"Daijoubu desu ka, Sakuragi-kun?" Kiminobu Kogure, the ever so caring vice-captain of the Shohoku High Basketball Team asked his worrisome looking subordinate. Sakuragi had been distracted while he was playing a practice game with his teammates. Having been hit straight in the face with the ball several times, he was sent to sit down for a while. But he still seemed lost in his thoughts so he wasn't called again in the game. The practice was almost over and he still hasn't moved much from his seat. Knowing his junior's passion for the game, Kogure was concerned with the self-proclaimed tensai's odd behaviour.

"Ah, sumimasen Megane-kun, what was it you said? I didn't quite get it," Sakuragi gave a weak smile and it made it look more obvious his mind was traveling somewhere else.

"I was just asking if you were fine. Now I can see you're not," genuine concern shone through his spectacles.

"What? Does it look like there's something wrong with me? You mean with the tensai! Ahahaha!" he tried his best to conceal his trouble with his infamous laugh.

"But you've stopped playing almost an hour ago, and you're still sweating so much. I could also see your knuckles are turning white because you're gripping your hands together too tight. Is something the matter, Sakuragi- kun?"

"The Tensai? With a problem? You worry too much Megane-kun! Your glasses make you look old enough! Laugh lines might start to appear on your face! The Tensai is perfectly fine! Tell that also to my fans. In fact, I'm going to take a nice refreshing shower so that my muscles would relax. Ahahaha! I really am a genius!" he walked away laughing nervously, heading to the direction of the shower room.

Kogure, looking puzzled,followed him with his sight . If Sakuragi really were fine, why would he tell him he needs a shower to relax his tensed muscles? He just smiled inwardly.

Hanamichi doesn't know how long he had been standing under the shower. All he knows is that the room had become unusually quiet. The buzz of his teammates doing their own things had already died down. Although the water was hot, steam was actually forming around him, he felt himself start to shiver. Maybe he really has been standing there too long. He shut off the shower, and when he stepped out, he found the room empty, and darker than when he went in. And then he realized the room really wasn't that quiet. The sound of a basketball being dribbled against the hardness of the court resounded through the whole gym. He grabbed his towel and dried off his honey-tanned skin, all the while thinking about who among his teammates could have stayed late for some extra practice. He doesn't know anyone who does it besides himself, not that he really needed those extra practices. It's just that, he couldn't think of anyone who could be that person, but whoever he is, he's making his heart pound. It's as if he has a bad hunch, negative vibes or something that makes him nervous, I mean just quite nervous. The tensai isn't afraid of anything, is he? But why does some kind of force seem to keep him from coming out of the locker room?

He was glued to the floor, so he had no choice but to listen more intently. The dribbling of the ball, the rhythm, the intervals, the sudden stops that could be maneuvers, the sound of a gentler plop, the sound of a ball being slammed to the ring. It was constant, there was pattern. There was no failure that the cycle would just be repeated over and over again. It's as if the player would never get tired. But he did, and with one final slam, silence ruled the place. Sakuragi took a deep breath, and it seemed he would never take another. Something seemed to be stuck on his throat, and it seemed to go down to cause constriction on his chest. He didn't know why he suddenly thought about the dare, the one he used to dread: the one he was starting to dread again.

Yohei already told him what he would do, from the first step to the last. Even though a tensai really doesn't need such a detailed instruction, he was quite thankful and appreciative of Youhei's effort. He was almost sure of his victory because of it. Being careful is also a sign of a true genius anyway. But now that he was faced with the opportunity to execute his mission, he couldn't be chickening out, right? Wait, he wasn't even sure Rukawa was the one in the court, so why all the worrying? He finished dressing up, throwing a faded shirt over his head. He didn't even bother to do anything with his hair to make it presentable; he just went on and ran out to the court.

And then he saw him.

Rukawa.

He was breathing heavily, with his head bowed down and hands grasping his knees. He must have heard the squeak of Sakuragi's shoes, so within a fraction of a second, their gazes met.

And locked.

Rukawa's gaze was steadier, Sakuragi's seemed to be faltering. But Rukawa was the first one to look away, walking to the direction of his things, and grabbing a towel to dry of his sweat. He acted as if he doesn't have a care in the world, in other words he acted his usual self. All the more making Sakuragi panic, for he could hear his heart thundering against his ribcage and his knees were starting to feel weak.

'His eyes!' Sakuragi thought. He stares as if he knows. He stares as if he's mocking him that all the while he knew his goal, and as soon as he asks, he would be turned down. He passed him casually, but through the corner of his eyes, he saw him glare! The battle hasn't even started yet, and Rukawa already won! Sakuragi's intake of breath became heavier, he has spent his allowance to the last cent, how could he ever ask his army again for money?

He couldn't believe it. Rukawa has such great power. Hanamichi turned around slowly to face his opponent. Rukawa stopped toweling his hair and looked at him.

'Hm, I didn't know his hair falls down on his face when it's wet.' Rukawa thought. Sakuragi obviously just got-off the shower. It kinda' surprised him 'coz he taught all his teammates had gone home. What's weirder is the way Sakuragi looked, completely idiotic. He looks like someone with a world of his own, or someone who'd had a trauma. Is he retarded or what? He continued looking at him, his gaze going lower down. He noticed he had a faded shirt for his top, and a towel for the bottom. And going lower, he noticed he was wearing his shoes. And they were wet, soaking wet.

Sakuragi almost panicked, Rukawa was staring at him again. This time expressionless, the scarier for he wouldn't guess what exactly was going on in the kitsune's mind. He might be making fun of him or something. Worse, he might tell everybody and he would be the center of humiliation. He was starting to get paler, but thanks to the dim lighting of the court, it wasn't obvious. He was watching Rukawa's face intently to squeeze out any clues of what's on his head. And then his lips started to move.

"Oi, 'Aho, Don't make a pool. I just mopped the floor."

"What pool?" he whispered to himself and when he looked down he saw his shoes were soaked. He let out a startled scream, "my shoes!"

"Hmph. Do'aho…"

"Te'me kitsune!" he suddenly forgot the current situation and he marched up angrily to him, "oi oi kitsune!"

Rukawa cleared his throat in response; he acted as if he didn't hear anything. Then he drank some water from his bottle.

'This is my chance,' Sakuragi thought. It seems Rukawa wasn't paying attention to him. So what he'll do is say the magic words for the sake of saying it, just to get it over and done with. The best part is that the kitsune wouldn't even notice. And he could proudly stand up against his friends claiming that he had accomplished the dare. Even if they ask around, he would say that all they wanted him to do is ask, they didn't say Rukawa had to be paying attention. What a wonderful idea he had! It's just that... he started to get nervous again.

"Ah… anou… Kitsune." Hanamichi didn't notice he was fidgeting.

Rukawa, surprised that his 'Aho spoke to him softly for the first time, replied, "I haven't got all day, speak up. What do you want?"

Hana's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that Rukawa actually spoke to him, making him look more vulnerable. 'Follow what Yohei said, follow what Yohei said,' he commanded himself. Then again, what the hell did Yohei said?

"I… I was just wondering if... if…"

Rukawa knitted his brows warning Sakuragi to speak up immediately or else…

"I was wondering if you would go out with me."

There, he said it. He doesn't want to look. Yeah, he managed to choke out the words, but it didn't sound the way he wanted it to be. It was far from his expectations, even from Youhei's. He sounded… serious. Rukawa was going to make fun of him!

"A date!" For the first time, Rukawa's voice had emotions.

He was beginning to make fun of him, Sakuragi just knew it. Now what would he do? He had never asked a girl for a date, hell, he had never asked anyone for a date. So he didn't know it was embarrassing. Or maybe because it's just Rukawa. It was a first time experience for him to ask someone out; it was supposed to be special. Why did he let himself waste an important moment?

He was too ashamed of himself that's why he didn't notice Rukawa's expression get gentler. He couldn't believe Sakuragi his archrival was asking him out. Like who could ever imagine it? It was really surprising.

"Hm… tomorrow, 7 pm. My house." With that, he slung his bag on his shoulder and made his way out the gym.

Sakuragi's feet again seemed to be glued on the floor. He said yes, he actually said yes! What would he do now!

tsuzuku

A/N: I'm sorry for disappointing some of you who expected Hana-chan to ask Rukawa-kun in front of the team or something like that. I just wanted to try to make the asking thingy kinda' special. But I promise to try to do something that would make it fun for the whole team.
Sorry for mistakes, or if you don't have better things to do, correct me. I'm just human and sometimes I get too absorbed doing the other things I do that I don't notice what I'm writing about. My hands just go on a trance and type away, having a secret coordination with my brain. Don't sue me, I ain't got anything to do with it. I have idle hands! (I had a crush on Devon Sawa when he was Casper)